RICK SMITH: ASU's Campus Green is also blue, red, yellow

Photos by Cynthia Esparza/Standard-Times ABOVE: People pass by the wildflowers at Angelo State University on the pathways by the volleyball courts. There are a variety of flowers in the fields. TOP RIGHT:Wildflowers including this corn poppy have been planted in a field at Angelo State University.

Cynthia Esparza/Standard-Times A variety of wildflowers including this corn poppy have been planted in a field at Angelo State University. shot 4.11/archived 4.12.12

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Bluebonnet seeker Kathy Keaton recently told me about the most unlikely place to find wildflowers in San Angelo: Angelo State University.

Kathy's never wrong. I found the field exactly where she told me: on Dena Drive, at the site of the former Women's High Rise dormitory.

And it's an amazing field! Sorry, no ASU Blue bluebonnets, but there's every other color under the rainbow. And zillions of them waving in the wind.

But wait! It gets better. Angelo State also has created a trail through its wildflower meadow. It's the most peaceful stroll you will find that side of Johnson Street.

Unlike its rural cousins, this wildflower field didn't pop up on its own.

Designed by architects, it was planned as part of the Campus Green area at ASU.

The idea of the Campus Green is "to make a relaxing area where students can reflect and walk," said Hal Peter, associate director in the Facilities Management department.

Wildflower seeds were spread on the field, and nature did the rest.

"It turned out beautifully," Hal agreed. "It's a good blend of flowers." New flowers will continue to bloom throughout the season, he said. "While some are dying, others are popping out."

When I visited this week, Indian blankets were just beginning to bloom. Talk about color.

Unlike the university's well-maintained lawns, the Campus Green won't be mowed, Hal said. After flower season, it will have "a pasture-type, prairie grass," he added.

When I visited Thursday, parts of the field had faded, but another section farther east had erupted in color. Imagine being a student and walking through a different-looking wildflower garden every day on the way to class.

Hal said the university also is expanding its xeriscaping efforts. The past year ASU eliminated the need to irrigate a dozen different areas along the mall (the east-west sidewalk that runs across the campus). They replaced water-sapping vegetation with crushed granite ground cover, boulders and cactus. One of the largest xeriscaped spots is the area between the library and the mall, where large, blocky boulders were arranged to form a seating area by the library.

"The kids have really responded to it," Hal said.

Who wouldn't? The new look is a little bit Hill Country, a little bit Big Bend.

To find the flowers, take Johnson Street to Dena Drive (which is between the old gym and College Hills Baptist Church). Turn east, toward Jackson Street. Dena dead-ends at the wildflower area. You can turn right on Varsity Drive and parallel park along that public street, or turn left and circle through the parking lot for a better view.

There are several visitor parking spots on the lots where you can park legally if you want to get out and walk.

Jeska's big break

"I've been singing forever," Jeska Sheppard Bailey told me.

Tonight, she'll perform for an international audience.

The San Angeloan's singing the national anthem at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300, a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Tune your TV to ESPN2 at 8 p.m. and you'll hear the Central High graduate singing to the world.

"Until now, the biggest audience I've ever had was a few thousand at the San Angelo Rodeo," she said.

Is she nervous?

"I'm nervous," she said, "but I'm kind of numb to it. I won't really get nervous until I'm there and about to sing."

To get the job, the 27-year-old singer attended auditions, was named one of the top dozen finalists, then gathered the most votes in a week of online voting.

The secret to singing the national anthem correctly? "Start on the right note," she said.

"When I get up to sing, I'm humming that note in my head."

Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact Rick at rsmith@gosanangelo.com or 325-659-8248.